The Naked City Blog

Exploring life in the city – Charlotte – and the greater metro region. Looking at urban design, transportation, growth, the built environment and more.

Mary Newsom is a lifelong journalist and observer of city life in the Charlotte region and beyond, with a focus on urban design, sustainable development, growth and city planning. She is associate director of urban and regional affairs at the UNC Charlotte Urban Institute. Her blog reflects her views only, not necessarily those of the institute or of UNC Charlotte.
Contact: mnewsom@uncc.edu.

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Wednesday, January 29, 2014

LaHood-Foxx love-fest?

When former Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood told President Obama he was leaving the job, he suggested Charlotte Mayor Anthony Foxx as his replacement. At least, that's what LaHood tells Chicago magazine, in a wide-ranging interview with Carol Felsenthal, "A Complete Q&A With Ray LaHood."

Here's the section about Foxx, who did indeed win the job of U.S. Transportation Secretary (and who snagged some noticeable face-time on national TV on Tuesday night during Obama's State of the Union Speech):

Q. Did you get the chance to consult with the president about who your successor as transportation secretary would be?

Absolutely. When I met with the President and told him that I wanted to
leave, he and his team gave me lots of opportunities to consult with
the White House.

Q. Did you suggest the name of Anthony Foxx [LaHood’s successor;
previously mayor of Charlotte, North Carolina], or did you have other
people in mind?

I did, but they knew Mayor Foxx because the Democratic Convention was
in Charlotte and they liked very much working with him on that. One of
the reasons I suggested him is because we worked with Mayor Foxx a lot
on his streetcar and his light rail project…. He was a transportation
leader so it was pretty easy to recommend him.